Product Round-up Apple provides plenty of free software to get you started with a new Mac. But there are some gaps, and a number of the firm's own freebies have been improved upon by some equally inexpensive alternatives. Here, then, is our selection of the ten apps you should download onto every new Mac you buy.

Adium

Adium is the multi-service instant messaging client par excellence. It's ready to connect to dozens of chat networks, including MSN, Yahoo!, ICQ, AIM, IRC and Google Talk, yet integrates them all into a clear, faff-free user interface, allowing you to converse with chums and colleagues without having to remember which network they're on. It integrates with Mac OS X's own Address Book.

Skype

Skype is the de facto standard for making voice and video calls over the internet. Talking to friends and family is free if they use Skype too, but you can also use it to call mobile phones and landlines at a fraction of the rate the major network operators charge, especially if you're calling overseas. Or, as we do, to ring home from hotel rooms when we're travelling. The only thing you can't do is rely on it to make emergency calls - no broadband, no phoning. But for everyday use, it's unsurpassed.